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The treatment consisted of Sanatorium regime, artificial
pneumothorax therapy, tuberculin and gold injections, and occupational
therapy. In suitable cases an artificial pneumo-peritoneum
was induced, a form of treatment which has not been given previously
in the Sanatorium.
Educational lectures were kept up throughout the year, and the
patients took great interest in them.
Three patients had to be discharged because of severe breaches
of discipline, but on the whole the atmosphere and the general
contentedness of the patients was very satisfactory.
In the first half of the year the waiting period for patients requiring
surgical treatment, either thoracoscopy with adhesion section
or thoracoplasty, was rather long, but after liaison had been established
with the North Middlesex Hospital, the necessary surgical treatment
could be carried out at very short notice. Mr. Ivor Lewis, Superintendent
of the Hospital, performed the thoracoscopies and adhesiotomies;
the patients remained for only one day, and then returned to the
Sanatorium where the post-operative treatment was carried out.
This arrangement was very satisfactory and permitted an earlier
discharge of patients, and consequently a faster turnover of beds.
On the other hand, the shortage of houses and good living
accommodation delayed the discharge of patients. It was also impossible
to transfer any advanced cases to St. Luke's Hospital.
In cases where tubercle bacilli were not found in the sputa, even
with concentration methods, gastric lavage was frequently resorted
to, and proved to be a useful aid in diagnosis.
In some cases it was found necessary to perform tomographs.
Unfortunately this could only be carried out on one patient, as
facilities for this type of modern X-ray diagnosis are still very
restricted.
Dental treatment and inspection was carried out regularly.
Quite a number of pleural effusions were tapped on one or more
occasions.